When your mother's advice is the best. (But, what's new?)

Parenting has not been easy for me this week. Or in the last little while, actually. Imagine this picture to be a metaphor and you will understand. It would bore you to go into details, plus my kids are getting old enough now that I kind of have to protect their privacy on the internet. (Ever wonder why there are all these parenting blogs by parents of babies and toddlers but waaaay fewer by parents of teenagers? Now you know.) Let's just say it's been rocky.

Maybe it's been me. Maybe it's been them. What's the point of apportioning blame? All I know is that I've been on the phone to my own mother in tears more than a few times.

"I just second-guess myself all the time. Maybe I've done the whole thing WRONG!" I sobbed the other day.

As best she could on the phone, she patted me on the shoulder and said this: "There are people who think they know the only right way to bring up children, but so what? I've seen a lot of parents and I've seen a lot of kids. And mostly, if the parents have good character, the kids turn out okay, no matter how painful they are on the way through. Yes, it's convenient for the adults if they behave well when they're little, but in the long run it's more about the long term role modelling of the parents and making sure the kids know they are loved."

Oh Mum. What a wonderful thing to say. You have always known best. I love you.

And, oh, parents, keep on keeping on. Love your children, and work on your own character and pray it'll all work out in the end.